Air Force Certifying F-16s to Use Biofuels

Defense Tech ^ | 3/1/2012 | Defense Tech

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In case you haven’t seen this, the Air Force is flying F-16s on biofuel derived from the camelina plant. Yup, years after the air service certified most of its aviation fleet to fly on coal-derived synthetic fuel (stuff that was pioneered by the Nazis and apartheid-era South African governments because no one liked them and the world cut off their oil supplies) it is now certifying its jets to fly on something a little more environmentally friendly.

(The Navy has been working to get its ships and planes certified to run on biofuels for a while now, too.)

Its plan to certify its aviation fleet to run biofuel is very similar to its previous effort with coal-based fuels. The F-16s are being checked out to fly on a 50/50 blend of camelina oil and regular JP-8 jet fuel. The service has long said that it wants to use its status as the government’s biggest energy buyer t drive the market for alternative fuels that are produced in the United States. This would reduce the military’s reliance on foreign oil, service officials have argued.

Here’s what the service has to say about the effort.

In a joint effort by Airmen from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, the F-16 Fight Falcon is currently undergoing a field service evaluation of biofuel.

As the largest consumer of energy in the Defense Department and $8 billion spent on fuel in fiscal 2011, Air Force officials are working toward making the fleet a little “greener” by researching, testing and ultimately implementing the use of alternative fuels.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Good. You have a plan.”

Thanks, and it's my real opinion. It is not because some candidate claims it.

There is no magical way of keeping energy prices low short blowing up the economy again like in 2008.
But if energy prices are going to rise then America/USA should be producing more and more energy. It's simple economics. But it must be cost effective.
You can't make fuels that take more energy than they actually produce and expect to get anywhere. That is like paying off your debts with your credit card.

Destroying the dollar will make anything imported expensive.

[U-238]

And we went through all this trouble.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

The last time I checked George W Bush was a Republican president unless you live in another dimension.

Tell me something I don't know. But "Republican" does not always mean "conservative."

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Bush has enjoyed strong support among Republicans and Americans holding conservative views, and for the 2004 election, 95-98% of the Republican electorate approved of and voted for Bush, a figure exceeding the approval of Ronald Reagan

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This support waned, however, due mostly to Republicans’ growing frustration with Bush on the issues of spending and illegal immigration

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

You can't make fuels that take more energy than they actually produce and expect to get anywhere. That is like paying off your debts with your credit card. Destroying the dollar will make anything imported expensive.

Indeed. I would like to live in a "clean energy" utopia if the technology was reliable and as cheap as fossil fuels (not counting govt. subsidies and budgetary sophistry), but what we get is Solyndra and ethanol.

[U-238]

I agree with your statement

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

I’ll bet I voted for Bush more times than you (twice as governor and twice for POTUS). In 2000 I defended him all over the world, from Edinburgh to Macau. But now I realize that my faith in him was partly unjustified.

[U-238]

I’ll bet I voted for Bush more times than you

And you are correct on that.I am not disputing that

[OrioleFan]

I have rheumatoid (a mild case - Thank God). My rheumatologist has me on a low dose of methotrexate once a week and folic acid supplements. Back in the late 90’s I got so I couldn’t move my legs. My doctor put me on a steroid for a couple of months and then on an anti-inflamatory/aspirin coctail which I was eventually weened off. Then it came back in my hands (2006), so I was sent to a rheumatologist, and she’s been working me down to the low maintenance dose of methotrexate since. I see her 4 times a year for a checkup and blood work. I wish you well, cause I knoe what arthritus is like and I consider myself one of the lucky ones - so far.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Yeah, maybe. But I don’t want to be the one footing the bill especially when the Middle East is a gnat’s eyelash from coming apart at the seams.